Manning facing contempt motion; PM Kamla to make statement

File: PM Kamla Persad-Bissessar speaks with reporters following her inauguration on May 24, 2010

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar will speak in Parliament Wednesday about allegations made last week by her predecessor and San Fernando East MP Patrick Manning.

She will make a statement in the House of Representatives during a sitting in which it is expected that the government will file a contempt motion against Manning for his actions in parliament last week.

Manning is alleged to have broken the Standing Orders and has been accused of deliberating misleading Parliament in his declarations about a house owned by the Prime Minister. He claimed that the house in valued at $150 million and has demanded proof that Persad-Bissessar did nothing wrong.

“My hands are clean and my heart is pure. I guess in politics, desperate people will do desperate things, they will clutch at straws. We still have freedom of speech of course but it must be within the rules of the House,” she told reporters Tuesday.

Persad-Bissessar said Manning did not present any facts in his contribution last Friday when he raised questions about the construction of her house.

“I will lay the facts bare. It is ridiculous because it is a distraction and it is taking away from real important issues we have to deal with but his statements were made in the public domain so we need to use some time to answer,” she said.

MPs from her party - the United National congress (UNC) - as well as the coalition partner, the Congress of the People (COP) are fully behind the Prime Minister.

Minister of Legal Affairs and St Augustine MP Prakash Ramadhar - who is a COP member - described Manning's allegations as “utter rubbish”.

He added, “How can a former prime minister, who is expected to have some statesman-like qualities utter these things...If Calder Hart was building it then we would expect that it would have cost more than $150 million. That is their mindset, where the smallest of things should cost a lot.” Ramadhar said.

Another COP member, Minister of Energy Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan, said Manning’s statement was “unwarranted and cowardly.” And the Caroni Central executive said Manning had engaged in “a cheap trick in public relations.”

UNC Chairman Jack Warner took a turn on Opposition leader Keith rowley for supportin Manning (see story below) and criticised Rowley for his “apparent endorsement of the vitriolic and politically acerbic contribution” of Manning.

“If Rowley has any desire of winning public approval as Opposition Leader he must first and foremost initiate the court-martial process against his Member for San Fernando East. He must restrain his troops,” said Warner.

Several other constituencies had comments as well. The Chaguanas East executive said, “We cannot believe that a former prime minister could resort to such extreme measures to try and destroy the integrity of the nation’s leader...We are of the firm view that these allegations are meant to distract from the recent damaging SIA spying revelations.”

Oropouche West said, “The allegations and political immaturity of Mr Manning have also set the wrong example for the youth of the nation who have been following the national politics."